PRO HOCKEY.

1 Year Of Coaching More Than Enough For Hawks' Graham

After 12 years of lacing up the skates as an NHL player, Dirk Graham decided that one year of coaching was enough.

Graham, who captained six Blackhawks teams before retiring after the 1994-95 season, stepped down Wednesday after one season as an assistant coach.

"It was a combination of things," he said. "It's tough to pinpoint."

Graham said he would meet with general manager Bob Pulford to discuss his future with the team. The club said he will stay in some capacity.

Graham will be replaced by Newell Brown, 34, who spent the last four years coaching the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League.

"I'm thrilled to join a rock-solid organization like the Blackhawks," Brown said in a conference call. "When this (opportunity) came up, I dropped everything and put all my eggs in one basket."

In his four years at the helm of Adirondack, Brown compiled a record of 151-134-35.

"Newell comes highly recommended by people in the hockey business," said Hawks head coach Craig Hartsburg. "His strengths are his work ethic and his knowledge of the game."

- The Blackhawks have acquired defenseman Tuomas Gronman from the Colorado Avalanche for their second-round pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Gronman, a 6-foot-3, 202-pounder, played in 32 games last season with TPS, a team from his native Finland. He scored five goals and had seven assists. Gronman, 22, was originally the third pick (29th overall) of the Quebec Nordiques in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft.